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Symmyns' 30,000

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Symmyns' 30,000
Post by Philip Stanley   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:56 pm

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According to HFQ, pp. 343-344, Maigwair has a small army of 30,000 well-armed troops near the SE corner of Lake Pei, just across the lake from Zion. According to the Teller of Tales, the commander, Symmyns, is very loyal to Clyntahn and the Temple, but his cadre is less so, and seems to trust Maigwair more.

Could this be a force Maigwair has put together to use in a coup? Removing Symmyns would give Maigwair a force of 30,000 to take to Zion, and they're probably better armed and trained than the temple guards/inquisitors currently controlling Zion, and could quickly defeat them. In the late winter they could get there quickly using ice boats, more quickly than Clyntahn could bring in loyal troops from anywhere else.

Any comments?
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by dobriennm   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 1:35 pm

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Reasonable, the troops to counter the Temple Guard under the control of the Inquisition have to come from somewhere.

My supposition would be that Maj. Phandrys (who a lot of us assume is secretly working for Duchairn, not the Inquisition) and some of his compatriots that he "suggested" to Rayno would get Duchairn and Maigwair out of Zion to that waiting Army.

Or that they and some portion of the Temple Guards with the help of the Zion mob hold off the rest of the Temple Guards until that Army arrives.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by PeterZ   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 1:36 pm

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I think Helm Cleaver and OWL will foster riots in Zion. Symmyns will be asked into Zion to quell the unrest that Inquisition does not have enough forces to pacify. All that remains is to replace Symmyns and set those troops in motion. People like Phandys will likely take over for Symmyns before the balloon drops.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by Expert snuggler   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 1:38 pm

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Hmm!

It would be a good strategic move, then, for a sniper capable of making thousand-yard shots to end Symmyns' command at a critical moment.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by PeterZ   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 1:45 pm

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No need for snipers if Symmyns is already in Zion. Helm Cleaver has already Provence capable of assassinating Vicars by the Church-load right under the Inquisition's protection.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by NHBL   » Sun Jan 10, 2016 11:40 pm

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How far away could a crack shot, with the best gun and scope that is Safehold made (or made by Merlin in such a way that it can't be proven by the church to be other than locally built, anyway) reliably kill a selected target? (Not a PICA, just a really, really good sniper)

Long range assination may become important. Of course, the church knows that people can be shot from rediculous ranges now, anyway,
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by n7axw   » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:04 am

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NHBL wrote:How far away could a crack shot, with the best gun and scope that is Safehold made (or made by Merlin in such a way that it can't be proven by the church to be other than locally built, anyway) reliably kill a selected target? (Not a PICA, just a really, really good sniper)

Long range assination may become important. Of course, the church knows that people can be shot from rediculous ranges now, anyway,


Probably better than a thousand yards, perhaps more for someone trained with the weapon. Those scout snipers in Corisande were getting that out of muzzle loaders without a scope. I would presume that a properly equiped M96 with a scope and smokeless powder could improve on that.

Don

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When any group seeks political power in God's name, both religion and politics are instantly corrupted.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by n7axw   » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:09 am

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dobriennm wrote:Reasonable, the troops to counter the Temple Guard under the control of the Inquisition have to come from somewhere.

My supposition would be that Maj. Phandrys (who a lot of us assume is secretly working for Duchairn, not the Inquisition) and some of his compatriots that he "suggested" to Rayno would get Duchairn and Maigwair out of Zion to that waiting Army.

Or that they and some portion of the Temple Guards with the help of the Zion mob hold off the rest of the Temple Guards until that Army arrives.



The complication here is that all TL armies are embedded with inquisitors, some of whom are undercover. Any plan to use a TL army would have to take that into account.

Don

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When any group seeks political power in God's name, both religion and politics are instantly corrupted.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by Randomiser   » Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:46 am

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n7axw wrote:
dobriennm wrote:Reasonable, the troops to counter the Temple Guard under the control of the Inquisition have to come from somewhere.

My supposition would be that Maj. Phandrys (who a lot of us assume is secretly working for Duchairn, not the Inquisition) and some of his compatriots that he "suggested" to Rayno would get Duchairn and Maigwair out of Zion to that waiting Army.

Or that they and some portion of the Temple Guards with the help of the Zion mob hold off the rest of the Temple Guards until that Army arrives.



The complication here is that all TL armies are embedded with inquisitors, some of whom are undercover. Any plan to use a TL army would have to take that into account.

Don

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If this army can be trusted to take over from inquisition troops in Zion, who will certainly not be going along with the idea, then dealing with their embedded Inquisitors will not be a problem. If they can't be so trusted then there is no point anyway.

I would imagine that by the time they arrived in Zion, the Grand Inquisitor would unfortunately have succumbed to apoplexy and Rayno would be consumed with grief, leaving the Captain General no option but to take command of the city's defence. Election of a new GI would, no doubt, take some time.
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Re: Symmyns' 30,000
Post by Henry Brown   » Mon Jan 11, 2016 7:20 pm

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dobriennm wrote:Reasonable, the troops to counter the Temple Guard under the control of the Inquisition have to come from somewhere.

My supposition would be that Maj. Phandrys (who a lot of us assume is secretly working for Duchairn, not the Inquisition) and some of his compatriots that he "suggested" to Rayno would get Duchairn and Maigwair out of Zion to that waiting Army.

Or that they and some portion of the Temple Guards with the help of the Zion mob hold off the rest of the Temple Guards until that Army arrives.


But *ARE* the Temple Guard firmly under the control of the Inquisition? From what I remember, they were traditionally part of the military arm of the church and under the control of Captain General of the Church. IE Maigwair. I think it is only in the last year or two that Inquisitors have been put in charge of the Temple Guard. So what happens if there is a schism between Clyntahn and Maigwair? Do the rank and file of the Temple Guard follow the Inquisitors who have been leading them for a few years? Or do they fall back on years of tradition and support Maigwair?
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